After finishing their fall-term final exams, 45 students took to the woods of New Hampshire to participate in the Dartmouth Outing Club’s (DOC) “Cabinhopping” trips, which the DOC has held annually since the mid-1990s.
“Students go from being too busy, studying indoors all day, to enjoying fresh air with friends,” says biology major Suzanne Kelson ’12, who organized five three-to-four-night trips along with fellow senior Charlie Governali ’12. “It provides personal physical challenge, the opportunity to appreciate Dartmouth’s beautiful setting, and a perfect way to relax after exams.”
Dartmouth staff members surprised one of the trips by meeting them at their winter tent one afternoon with the fire in the wood stove started. Dan Nelson ’75, director of Outdoor Programs, said, “It was great fun to meet them along the way, give them a warm welcome, and wish them well. I wish we could have joined them for the entire hike to Moosilauke!”
Also during the week after finals, a separate group of 18 Dartmouth students spent at a week at Billings Cabin and hiked through the Presidential Range in the White Mountains. The sense of humor at the DOC is evident in this separate excursion’s name—WHEATSTARCH, or Winter Hiking Extravaganza At the Same Time As Regular Cabin Hopping. About 1,000 Dartmouth students are members of the Dartmouth Outing Club, which is the oldest collegiate outing club in the United States.